Sandra‘s Closet

Making the natural even more beautiful sits at the very heart of everything Hermès creates. It is this philosophy that inspired Gregoris Pyrpylis, Creative Director of Hermès Beauté, to design products that enhance the skin’s natural radiance. For 2026, the maison expands its lip universe with two nurturing new essentials: a nourishing lip mask with a regenerating effect and glossy finish, and an invisible lip balm that turns daily care into a refreshing beauty ritual.

The Lip Balm

Housed in a refillable case designed by Pierre Hardy, the colourless balm nourishes and protects with shea butter, plant based waxes and castor oil. Ceramides shield the lips from environmental stress and prevent dryness, while white mulberry combined with a hyaluronic acid complex delivers comfort and hydration. Sesame seed extract leaves the lips beautifully smooth.

Composed of 95 percent ingredients of natural origin, the balm works both as a daily protective treatment on its own and as the perfect base under lipstick.

The Lip Mask

The nourishing mask blends shea butter with castor, macadamia, jojoba and sweet almond oils and waxes for instant and lasting nourishment. A hyaluronic acid complex and sesame seed extract ensure optimal hydration and a smoothing effect, while ceramides strengthen the hydrolipidic barrier. Antioxidant astaxanthin, which also gives the formula its signature orange hue, fights free radicals.

Made with 97 percent ingredients of natural origin, the mask comes with a lacquered wooden applicator brush that echoes the design of Les Pinceaux Hermès.

The Rouge Hermès lip balm and lip mask will be available from September 2026 in selected Hermès stores worldwide. Two little luxuries I already know will live in my handbag.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Hermès
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INTO THE HORSESCAPE: HERMÈS TURNS MOVEMENT INTO HIGH JEWELRY

Hermès has unveiled Into the Horsescape, the ninth haute bijouterie collection of the maison, and it might be Pierre Hardy’s most poetic work yet. Ninety creations explore the essence of movement: jewels that lift away from the skin only to return to it, again and again.

Attelage d’Or Choker

The horse, the founding symbol of Hermès, is everywhere and nowhere at once. Pierre Hardy, Creative Director of Hermès Jewelry, calls the collection metonymical. The animal itself is barely visible, yet its symbolism lives in every piece, sometimes concrete, sometimes sliding into metaphor. A fitting approach for a house that began in 1837 as a harness and saddle maker for Europe’s equestrian elite, long before it became the luxury powerhouse we know today.

Cavale Necklace

«INTO THE HORSESCAPE is a metonymical collection. The horse itself is barely seen, but its symbolism lives within each piece, sometimes even taking on a metaphorical quality.» – Pierre Hardy, Creative Director of Hermès Jewelry

Chevauchée Necklace

The collection unfolds like an inner landscape, woven from myths, legends, inherited gestures and contemporary visions. Some of the lines speak the equestrian language more clearly than others.

Centaure Necklace

Centaure takes the horse’s hoof as its starting point, pairing meticulously cut black jade with invisible-set baguette diamonds.

Galop Hermès Double Ring

Galop Hermès brings the animal into full view with sculptural horse profiles, exceptional sapphires and gradients of white and brown diamonds that echo the tones of a horse’s coat.

Clou de Forge Lumière

Clou de Forge Lumière elevates the humble blacksmith’s nail into one of the collection’s brightest pieces, covered in diamonds through the house’s pavage matière technique.

Fouet Double Tour Bracelet

And Fouet Double Tour reinterprets the equestrian whip in supple gold and diamonds, a tribute to Hardy’s very first haute bijouterie collection from 2010.

Etreintes Cuff Bracelet and Earrings

What I love most about Into the Horsescape is its restraint. Some stones stay partially hidden until the jewel moves with the wearer, revealing themselves slowly instead of demanding attention. The horse remains the starting point, never the destination. Quiet luxury in its most literal form, and unmistakably Hermès.

LoL, Sandra

Etriers Necklace

Lasso Disco Necklace

Sellette Bracelet

Hermès Apparat Ring and Body Jewelry

Photos: Courtesy of Hermès
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Since 1978, the Arceau collection has been celebrating asymmetrical lines, equestrian inspiration and the exploration of watchmaking craftsmanship. Beneath its apparent simplicity, the round case provides a veritable canvas for design. With the Arceau Cavalier en Formes watch, time combines sophisticated horological complications with the decorative arts.

Set directly onto the dial, a sapphire crystal graced with a dainty miniature painting on either side portrays a scene comprising various layers of radiant fragments and subtle shades. Finely engraved leaves unfurl and the surface is enlivened by hand-painted blue flat-colour blocks in square and round shapes. An engraved yellow gold horse stands out at the heart of this visually balanced depiction. Through the interplay of superimposed engraving, painting and transparency, the dial captures the light and reveals an almost sculptural depth.

In Gianpaolo Pagni’s intriguing design, a rider concealed beneath a set of circles and squares is vividly suggested through these cubist-style shapes. Originally conceptualised for a silk scarf, this graphic composition finds a new setting here while losing nothing of its evocative power. The artist was inspired by an equestrian lithograph from the Émile Hermès collection, choosing to retain only the mount before recomposing the figure of the rider into geometric motifs.

This pictorial dance is performed above a Lift tourbillon positioned at 6 o’clock, with a carriage picking up the «double H» motif of the historic lift in the Hermès boutique at 24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris.

Invisible to the eye yet essential to the soul of the timepiece, a minute repeater orchestrated by the hand-wound H1924 movement lends its voice to the watch. Presented in a 43 mm white gold case and issued in a limited edition of six, the Arceau Cavalier en Formes is adorned with a bleu abysse alligator strap, crafted in the Hermès workshops.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Hermès
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A rare moment in Boston: me in jeans and frizzy hair, stuck in an underground garage due to heavy rain, called for: beauty queen of the force of nature.

Bright orange, against concrete. That was the situation. Later at Puttshack Boston, indoor mini golf, part game, part spectacle. Caution: I was unstoppable.

My look: Dioriviera cashmere sweater «Mykonos» (S/S 2022) by Dior, butterfly embroidered jeans by Valentino, ruched belt with butterfly buckle (Gucci Garden), and  Screener sneakers by Gucci, orange red mirror quilted runway shield sunglasses (S/S 2016) by CHANEL, «All Aboard» bandana silk scarf 55 in orange / white / black, and Evelyne 16 mini canvas shoulder bag in Clemence leather in Orange Minium, both by Hermès.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
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The epitome of a catsuit and quite literally so. An Alex Perry silhouette in animal print, bold yet razor-sharp in its elegance, worn for a night that called for exactly that energy.

We celebrated my daughter’s 24th at Blind Duck at the Raffles Hotel in Boston, a night of dancing, laughter, and that effortless kind of joy you wish you could bottle. Some evenings stay with you. This one certainly will.

My look: Oversized black blazer by Stella McCartney, ruched leopard-print devoré-chiffon jumpsuit by Alex Perry, Aevitas pointy stud leather platform pumps by Versace, embellished aviator-style recycled-acetate and gold-tone sunglasses by Bottega Veneta, Kelly Pochette Cut clutch in black Swift leather with gold hardware by Hermès, and Mitza ring by Dior Fine Jewellery.

LoL, Sandra

.Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / Felicia Sewerinsson @feliciasewerinsson
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Happy St. Patrick Day with moments captured on Killiney Hill, where the wind doesn’t ask, it decides. Freezing, wild, and impossible to style against. My hair? Completely taken by the elements, and honestly, that’s the point.

Later, in front of a perfectly green door, I paused for a photo. It opened. Within seconds, I was invited inside. No hesitation, just that quiet, unmistakable Irish warmth. Effortless, real, rare.

The clover charm on my sweater felt like more than an accessory, a small lucky symbol, a subtle homage to a country that wears its spirit so openly. Ireland has a way of staying with you, quietly, honestly, and a little like the wind: you can’t quite capture it, but you never really lose it either.

My look: Vintage green velvet blazer, cashmere sweater with clover charm, Linea G 2 leather-trimmed canvas shoulder bag, and sunglasses with golden frame and burgundy lenses by Gucci, Beautiful jean by Alice + Olivia, «Coaching» Forever Scarf 90, and scarf ring 90 Régate, both by Hermès, and leather platform ankle boots by Versace.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht
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London, Mayfair.
Always running, from one high-end moment to the next.
So much happening, so much to discover.

In the rush, still in style. Always. Happy Weekend!

My look: Bow-embellished polka-dot silk crepe de chine midi dress by Alessandra Rich, VSLING mini top handle handbag in black with sparkling embroidery by Valentino, Hangisi 105 crystal-embellished satin pumps by Manolo Blahnik, silk scarf 90 «Costume de Fête» by Jan Bajtlik (S/S 2023) by Hermès, silver-tone crystal and pearl clip earrings, and crystal and pearl necklace, both by Alessandra Rich.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / Felicia Sewerinsson @feliciasewerinsson
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True to its original «square within a rectangle» outlines, the HERMÈS Cape Cod watch redefines the contours of an iconic design.

Born of Henri d’Origny’s bold pencil strokes and inspired by the anchor-chain link, the Cape Cod watch appears in revised proportions vividly showcasing its personality. Endowed with the same graphic typology, visual language and timeless sassiness, the new Cape Cod features all the architectural vocabulary of its 1991 predecessor, reinterpreted with exquisite finesse in a «mini» version.

Appearing in a 27 x 20 mm format that accentautes the curve of its case and its finishes, sometimes smooth and at others shiny, gem-set or polished, this watch with its iconic link is available in steel or yellow gold. The argenté, étoupe or ardoise dials lend their understated elegance to the steel case, while the yellow gold version glows with a doré or Rouge H hue. Crafted in the Hermès Horloger workshops, a single or double tour strap in Swift calfskin or Chamkilight goatskin highlights the subtle nuances of each individual dial.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Hermès
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It’s my birthday. Wrapped in polka dots, I celebrate another year of becoming, lighter in laughter, sharper in vision. Not chasing time, but wearing it well. Elegance isn’t about age, it’s about presence. And today, I’m fully here turning 51.

My look: Bow-embellished ruffled polka-dot silk-crepe mini dress, earrings with pearls, and crystal-embellished fringed-edge necklace, all by Alessandra Rich, puff-sleeve leather jacket in black by Chloé, Brides de Gala Bandana a Pois scarf 70 by Hermès, wallet on chain by CHANEL, fishnet tights with rhinestones by Calzedonia, and studded Tan-Go platform pumps by Valentino.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht / Felicia Sewerinsson @feliciasewerinsson
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End of an Era at Hermès: Véronique Nichanian Steps Down – What Comes Next?

In a major moment for luxury fashion, Véronique Nichanian (71), the longtime creative force behind Hermès menswear, has officially stepped down, closing one of the most enduring chapters in modern fashion history.

A Legendary Tenure: 37 Years at Hermès

Véronique Nichanian’s career at Hermès is nothing short of extraordinary. Joining the French luxury house in 1988, she built and defined Hermès’s menswear identity from the ground up after being recruited from Cerruti by Jean-Louis Dumas.

Over her 37-year tenure, she became known for a design philosophy rooted in understated elegance, impeccable craftsmanship, and timeless sophistication, hallmarks of the Hermès aesthetic. Rather than chasing trends, Nichanian favored subtle refinement: beautifully constructed garments that married functionality with quiet luxury.

Her longevity also made her one of the longest-serving creative directors in fashion, a rare figure of continuity in an industry often defined by rapid change and designer turnover. With a 37-year tenure, Nichanian even surpasses Karl Lagerfeld’s legendary 36-year run at Chanel, making her one of the longest-serving creative directors in modern luxury fashion history.

Nichanian’s final collection for Hermès was presented during the January 2026 runway season, marking the end of an era both for her and for the brand’s menswear division.

Passing the Torch: Grace Wales Bonner Takes Over

Hermès has chosen British designer Grace Wales Bonner as Nichanian’s successor in the menswear creative director role. The announcement marks a bold, yet thoughtful, new chapter for the storied French maison.

At 35 years old, Wales Bonner brings fresh energy and a unique artistic perspective to one of fashion’s most iconic houses. She founded her eponymous label, Wales Bonner, in 2014 and has been celebrated for her work that bridges fashion, culture, and intellectual inquiry — earning awards and global recognition along the way.

Her appointment to Hermès also carries symbolic weight: she becomes one of the few Black women to lead design at a major luxury fashion house, a milestone in an industry still grappling with representation and diversity.

Wales Bonner’s first collection for Hermès is slated to debut in January 2027, giving her an entire year to shape her vision for the brand’s menswear future.

Will It Be a Fresh Wind or a Seamless Transition?

The shift at Hermès is significant not just because of Nichanian’s tenure, but because it highlights Hermès’s careful balance between heritage and evolution.

Nichanian’s legacy is rooted in quiet power, precision tailoring, and a measured, less overtly trend-driven approach. Her work embodied Hermès’s dedication to craftsmanship and enduring style rather than seasonal spectacle.

Grace Wales Bonner’s design ethos, by contrast, leans into cultural narratives, global references, and artistic collaboration, which many expect to inject a fresh creative energy into the house. Her work often explores identity, music, art, and African diaspora influences, which might introduce new dimensions to Hermès menswear without disrupting the brand’s core values.

Fashion industry commentators see this move as potentially expansive rather than disruptive: a way for Hermès to evolve its menswear identity thoughtfully while retaining its signature DNA of refinement and quality.

Looking Ahead

As Hermès prepares for this new creative era, all eyes will be on Wales Bonner’s first runway collection in January 2027. Will it stay true to classic Hermès restraint? Will it redefine the brand’s codes for a new generation? Only time will tell  but the appointment certainly suggests a dynamic future ahead for one of fashion’s most revered maisons.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, © Hermès, © Grace Wales Bonner
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